ES2385916T3 - Mattress cover with composite end panels with improved fit - Google Patents

Abstract

A fitted mattress cover for enveloping the top, side and end surfaces of a mattress is constructed to accommodate a range of mattress peripheral sizes and thicknesses. The construction utilizes composite end panels which include stretch end panels covering lower partial portions of the mattress end surfaces and which impart recovery forces to effectively grip the mattress and thereby minimize the shifting of the cover relative to the mattress. At the same time, the look and feel of the mattress covering, which may be of importance especially in the case of a fitted sheet, is improved, by virtue of the fact that the side panels can be formed as uninterrupted unitary extensions of the material forming the top side panel, or other material based upon aesthetic considerations, as can upper partial portions (extension end panels) of the composite end panels. In a related aspect, stretchability of the mattress cover skirt may be imparted in a post-manufacture heat treatment finishing step, which may include a laundry wash and dry cycle.

Description

Mattress cover with composite end panels with improved fit

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to mattress covers, and more particularly to adjusted mattress covers having an upper panel of woven material to superimpose the upper surface of a mattress, and side and end panels that depend on the upper panel to fit around the sides and ends of the mattress. mattress. As used herein, the term "mattress cover" is used in its generic sense to mean sheets and covers, for example, mats used under the sheets to protect the mattress and / or provide a softer surface and bedspreads used on sheets. to provide an orderly or decorative look on a bed. The present invention has a particularly advantageous application in fitted bed sheets.

Background of the invention

The present inventor has described, in his United States patents No. 5,249,322; 5,056,441; and 4,985,953, assigned to Louisville Bedding Co., tight mattress covers that make it highly advantageous to use a skirt constructed of a material that can be stretched in its longitudinal dimension, that is, horizontally around the periphery of a mattress on which it's installed. A construction of this type provides a firm grip on the mattress to avoid displacement of the cover on the mattress during use, and to accommodate mattresses of different thicknesses and peripheral dimensions (length and width), while pulling said skirt firmly against and under the mattress in order to avoid sinking or loosening the fabric otherwise creating a careless appearance.

In one embodiment of the aforementioned Seago patents, the hanging skirt is formed of a separate strip of material that is attached around the periphery of an inelastic top panel of the mattress cover, for example, a mat. The separated strip comprises a single gathered layer of substantially inelastic fabric material with a plurality of elongated, spaced parallel cords, such as elastic straps or threads, sewn on the inelastic skirt material so that they generally extend perpendicular to the axes Longitudinal folds of the gatherings that are formed with the elastic cords that are in a relaxed state before the installation of the cover on the mattress.

In another embodiment of the Seago patents mentioned above, the skirt comprises side panels and ends formed as unitary extensions of the upper panel. These panels are sewn together at their ends to form closed corners of the mattress cover, and the skirt thus formed is made so that it can be stretched by sewing on the panels elastic cords under tension, which, when allowed to relax, form gatherings similar to The first realization.

The mats constructed in accordance with the teachings of the Seago patents mentioned above have had considerable commercial success. The Expand-A-Grip ® mats of this assignee, which are protected by patents, are leaders in the industry. The principles described in Seago patents are also fully applicable to fitted sheets. However, the adoption of the sheet construction market has been significantly lower.

This is believed to be due, at least in part, to the sensitivity of users and buyers of bed products with respect to the appearance and feel of a fitted sheet when installed and used on a mattress. The sides of a fitted sheet installed on a mattress receive much more exposure, both visually and touch, than the sides of a tight mattress cover. Considering that the side wall of a mat remains generally covered by a fitted overlay sheet during use, a fitted sheet is revealed after removing the top sheet and blankets or other bed covers. As a result, consumers of bed products may favor a sheet that provides an uninterrupted continuation of the sheet material (eg, a woven cotton fabric with a high number of threads) from the main (upper) panel to the side walls. A fitted sheet having its skirt constructed of a separate strip of elastic material attached to, and extending over the entire periphery of a separate upper panel, of course, does not provide such an uninterrupted continuation of the sheet material.

The problem of the aforementioned aspect / sensation can be alleviated to some extent with the second of the embodiments of the Seago patents mentioned above, since in this embodiment, the side panels are provided as integral extensions of the upper panel. Therefore, the construction provides a continuous envelope of the upper edge of the mattress, which extends down to the first line of the sewn elastic cord. As illustrated in the Seago patents, typically this first line of cord would distance down from the top surface of the mattress. This construction also has the advantage of forming well-defined closed corners to fit perfectly in the mattress corners. However, the appearance of the lines of the cooked elastic cord can be seen as an undesirable deviation from the conventional unbroken extension of the main panel material over the total depth of the mattress.

As a variation on the mattress cover constructions described above from Seago's patents, the

U.S. Patent No. 5,530,979 to Whitely, assigned to Perfect Fit Industries, proposes to provide a two-part skirt construction. A first upper part of the skirt (an inelastic side skirt) is provided as an integral extension of the inelastic material used to form the main panel that serves to cover the upper side of the mattress. A second (lower) part of the skirt (elastic bottom skirt) is formed by a strip of material attached to the lower edge of the side skirt over its entire periphery, and is made so that it can be stretched elastically in its longitudinal dimension, that is, peripherally on a mattress in which it is installed, for contraction under the mattress. A variety of known fabric constructions that can be stretched elastically are used to form the second elastic part.

Similar to the second embodiment of the Seago patents mentioned above, such a construction reduces the coverage area of the elastic material, and also allows the formation of well-defined closed corners. However, a seam that joins the strip of elastic material to the inelastic side skirt, as well as the differentiated elastic material itself, will be present and visible along the side walls of the mattress when the construction is used on a fitted sheet. In this way, the problems related to the aesthetics and touch / sensation mentioned above persist.

US Patent No. 4,672,702 to Isham discloses a mattress cover comprising a main panel provided with extensions covering the side walls. These extensions are provided with rectangular cuts at their corners. The cuts accommodate the ends of the elastic adjustment end panels that are longer than the width of the mattress on which the cover is to be installed, such that when the cover is installed the elastic adjustment panels are wrapped around The corners of the mattress. Each elastic panel is sewn along its upper edge to a corresponding extreme edge of the main panel, which in turn is in register with an extreme edge of the upper surface periphery of the mattress. The ends of the elastic end panels are sewn to the corresponding edges of the cuts provided in the extensions covering the side walls of the mattress. Isham reveals that elastic fabrics suitable for use in the formation of elastic panels are typically elastic in only one direction, and that when said materials are used, the rectangular elastic panel must be cut in such a way that stretching is carried out along of a line perpendicular to the longitudinal edge of the panel, that is, to provide stretching capacity in the up and down direction.

The Isham configuration has the disadvantage of not providing a significant stretching capacity in the peripheral direction of the skirt. Such peripheral stretching capacity in a skirt has proven to be much more effective than up-down stretching by providing a secure grip in a range of mattress sizes and thicknesses. In addition, in the case of a fitted sheet construction, the extension of the elastic end panels around the four corners of the mattress, in regions of side walls at the upper and lower ends of the bed, detrimentally places the differentiated elastic material at along the areas of side walls that are exposed after the removal of an upper sheet, blanket, and / or other bed cover.

United States Patent No. 4,980,941 to Johnson III discloses a product for the fitted bed in which portions of the side panels thereof are made of elastic material. In particular, Johnson III teaches the use of elastic panels formed from a three-layer laminated construction (with vertically extending seams). One described embodiment includes a corner configuration that encompasses elastic end panels that appears to be generally similar to that described by the Isham patent, including concomitant deficiencies.

Kardell et al. In U.S. Patent No. 5,287,574, it shows on its cover that it has been assigned to Restful Knignts, it proposes a tight mattress cover that uses elastic upper and lower panels. An upper edge of each panel is fixed, by conventional sewing procedures, to an upper portion of a main unit panel of the mattress cover. The ends of the upper and lower panels are sewn to the corresponding ends of the first and second cantilever side portions of the unitary main panel. The upper and lower elastic panels are provided in a trapezoidal shape, such that the lower edges of the upper and lower panels have a shorter length than that of the upper edges of the panels. According to the patent, this will cause the upper and lower panels to exert greater tension on the side portions of the main panel near the lower edges thereof, to ensure a secure fit for a range of mattress thicknesses.

The trapezoidal panel configuration of Kardell et al., And the shape of its attachment to the main panel, are such as to induce an elastic recovery force that increases linearly from essentially zero at the point of attachment of the upper edge (where the elastic material is not stretched at the time of joining the material of the main panel) up to a maximum along the bottom edge (in which the greatest amount of stretching is required to fix the end panels to the ends of the protruding side portions from the main panel). As a result, the ability of the mattress cover to firmly grip the mattress and prevent it from moving can be compromised, especially in an upper portion of the corners of the side walls of the mattress and the end walls, in which the loose material can also create A careless appearance. In addition, corner seams can be distorted as a result of non-uniform tensile forces, resulting in an adjustment and degraded appearance at the corners.

Summary of the invention

In a first aspect, the invention is embodied in an adjusted mattress cover that includes an upper panel of material to be adjusted in relation to overlapping the upper surface of a mattress and a peripheral skirt that depends on the periphery of the upper panel to adjust in relation to overlapping the sides and ends of the mattress. The peripheral skirt includes a pair of extension side wall panels connected to the upper panel. The side wall panels are sized and configured to substantially cover all sides of the mattress. A pair of extension end panels are attached to the top panel. At least one of the end extension panels that has a depth that is less than a depth of the side wall panels, and that is sized and configured to substantially cover only a partial upper portion of the mattress side walls. At least one elastic end panel is provided, which is sized and configured to substantially cover only a partial lower portion of a corresponding end wall below the partial upper portion. The elastic end panel is formed of an extensible material that can be stretched at least in a longitudinal direction thereof in order to generate at least a partial recovery force. The elastic end panel joins along its upper edge to a corresponding peripheral edge of a corresponding one of the extension end panels, and joins at its ends, either directly or indirectly, to corresponding end edges of the wall panels side. As a result, after the installation of the mattress cover on a mattress, the at least partial recovery force pulls the end edges of the side wall panels.

Such a construction has a particularly advantageous application in a fitted sheet, in which the recovery forces of the elastic end panels can be used effectively to grip the mattress and thereby minimize the sheet's displacement. At the same time, the appearance and feel of the mattress cover, which may be of particular importance in the case of a fitted sheet, is improved, by virtue of the fact that the side panels can be formed as uninterrupted unit extensions of the material that forms the panel upper side, or other aesthetically dictated material, such as partial upper portions (extension end panels) of the composite end panels.

In a second aspect, the invention is embodied in a process for making a fitted mattress cover having an upper panel to adjust in relation to overlapping an upper surface of a mattress and a peripheral skirt to superimpose the sides and ends of the mattress. In the process, a main piece of fabric is formed with a top panel sized and configured to fit in relation to the top surface of a mattress, two opposite extension side panels coextensive in length with the top panel so as to substantially cover all sides of the mattress, and two opposite extension panels coextensive in length with the width of the top panel. At least one of the opposite extension end panels is given a depth that is less than a depth of the two opposite side panels, so as to substantially cover only a partial upper portion of the end walls of the mattress. At least one elastic end panel is attached along a longitudinal edge thereof to a corresponding peripheral edge of a corresponding one of the extension end panels to form a composite end panel. The elastic end panel is sized and configured to substantially cover only a partial lower portion of the end walls below the partial upper portion. The elastic end panel is formed of an extensible material that can be stretched at least in a longitudinal direction thereof in order to generate at least partial recovery force when placed in a stretched condition. The adjacent end edges of the composite end panels and side panels are joined together to form the peripheral skirt.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent and will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view from a corner of an exemplary mattress cover (specifically a fitted sheet) in accordance with the present invention, installed on a mattress that is located at the top of a box spring or base.

Figure 2 is a final perspective view of the mattress / mattress / mattress cover combination illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the mattress cover illustrated in Figure 1, and the mattress on which it is installed.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the general shape of the assembly of a main piece of material and two panels of extensible material, to form the exemplary inventive mattress cover shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a schematic partial plan view illustrating an exemplary method for sewing an elastic end panel to a respective extension end panel of the main piece of material, in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing a preform composed of fabric material formed by fixing the elastic end panels to the main piece of material as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 7 is a schematic partial perspective view illustrating an exemplary method for closing the corners of a mattress cover according to an aspect of the invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, an example of a fitted mattress cover, and specifically a fitted sheet 1, according to the present invention is shown. The fitted sheet 1, shown installed in a conventional mattress 5 (visible in Figure 3), includes a top panel 3 of generally rectangular peripheral shape to fit in relation to the top surface of the mattress. The mattress 5 can be seated on a conventional box spring or other mattress base 7. A peripheral skirt 9 is attached at the peripheral edge of the upper panel 3 and depends on it to fit in relation to the sides and ends of the mattress. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the peripheral skirt 9 is a composite skirt comprising (1) panels formed as unitary extensions of upper panel 3, and (2) separate extendable end panels.

In particular, the peripheral skirt 9 comprises extension side panels 11 that can be integrally formed as unitary parts of the main piece of material forming the upper panel 3, and composite end panels 13. The composite end panels 13 comprise extension end panels 15, which can be formed as integral integral parts of the main piece of material that forms the upper panel 3, and joined elastic end panels, formed separately 17. The elastic end panels 17 are joined along their respective upper edges to the corresponding peripheral edges of the extension end panels 15. As will be described in greater detail, this fixing is carried out while maintaining the fixing edge of the partial end panels under tension in a longitudinally stretched condition. As such, by allowing relaxation, the recovery of the elastic material to its relaxed state attracts the material inwards on itself and carries with it the peripheral edges of the extension end panels 15.

Various relative sizes of the extension end panels 15 and the elastic end panels 17 can be used, depending, for example, on the overall desired depth of the skirt and the materials used. In one example, where a total skirt depth of approximately 38 cm (15 ") is provided, approximately 25 cm (10") can be assigned to the elastic end panels and approximately 13 cm (5 ") can be assigned to the extreme extension panels (2: 1 ratio).

In an exemplary embodiment, a single piece of material forms the upper panel 3, the extension side panels 11, and the extension end panels 15. That material may be a substantially inelastic and substantially non-extensible material, for example, woven cotton ( traditional muslin). Alternatively, this main piece of material may comprise an extensible fabric; the fabric that may or may not comprise elastic threads or cords. For example, the material can be made of stretch knit cotton, the type commonly used for t-shirts. As another possibility, the material could be an extendable polyester knit fabric that absorbs moisture. Regardless of the type of fabric used for the main piece of material, as long as the edges of the elastic end panels 17 are stretched longitudinally at the time of attachment to the main piece of material, the recovery of the material from the elastic panel after fixation it will cause the formation of the gatherings in the end extension panels 15 and a contraction of a central part of the upper panel 3 (as generally illustrated in Figure 6). This allows, at the time of the installation of the sheet 1 on a mattress, that the elastic end panels 17 are stretched across their width and length, without such stretching being prevented by fixing the panels to the main piece of material (in particular, the extension end panels 15 thereof).

Stretching the elastic end panels 17, after the installation of the sheet 1 on the mattress 5, establishes recovery forces that act inward toward the center of the composite end panels 13. At their opposite ends, each of the end panels Compounds 13 joins the corresponding end edges of the lateral extension panels 11. Therefore, the recovery forces (which may be partial recovery forces) peripherally pull the lateral extension panels 11, thus tending to eliminate any sagging or slack in the side extension panels that might otherwise exist under the mattress cover that is sized to accommodate the mattresses at the upper (as well as the lower) end of a range of peripheral dimensions and mattress thicknesses. Stretch recovery forces transmitted to the extension side panels 11 also tend to occur in the portions of the lower peripheral edges 19 of the extension side panels 11 under the mattress 5, as well as in the lower peripheral edges of the elastic end panels 17, as illustrated in Figure 3, to further improve the grip and appearance of the mattress cover.

In addition, the cover structure formed by end extension panels 13, and its corner fixing to the side extension panels 11, further contribute to preventing undesirable movement of the mattress cover on the mattress, providing well-defined corners to receive the corners of the mattress.

Although a similar effective gripping action is achieved with the mattress cover configurations described in the Seago patents mentioned above, this is to some extent at the expense of the appearance and feel of the side walls and end walls. This is usually not a consequence of a

mat, which will normally be covered by a sheet. However, as mentioned above in the background section, the side walls of a fitted sheet will typically be exposed to the user or users of a bed after removing the blanket or blankets, blanket or bed covers and the like. Therefore, the appearance and feel of the side walls is generally more important in this application.

Advantageously, the sheets constructed in accordance with the present invention offer the opportunity to maintain, on the side walls of the mattress, the same appearance and uninterrupted feeling of the upper panel of material, since the skirting options that cover the side walls can be constructed as continuous continuations of the upper panels. Furthermore, even the end panels (which are typically much less likely to be exposed to the user than the side panels) can retain in a substantial part thereof the appearance and feel of the top panel, by virtue of the fact that the elastic end panels can be confine a partial lower portion of the end or ends to which they apply.

While in the illustrated arrangement the extension side panels and the extension end panels are formed as unitary extensions of the top panel 3, the extension side panels and the extension end panels could instead be pieces of material formed separately from of the material of the upper panel 3, and then fixed to them. Even in this case, the approach of the present invention provides the advantage that aesthetics can dictate what these materials can be, since the grip functionality will be achieved with the elastic end panel provided in the partial bottom portions of at least one , and preferably both, mattress ends. By limiting the elastic panel to a smaller area of the skirt, it is also possible to achieve cost savings, due to the potentially higher costs of the elastic material compared to the material or materials of the rest of the sheet or other mattress cover.

At the same time, the sheets and other mattress covers according to the invention can be constructed so as to exhibit advantageous grip and fit characteristics that compete with those obtained with the mattress covers of the Seago patents mentioned above. This is due, at least in part, to a method of manufacturing a mattress cover according to an aspect of the invention, which allows elastic fabrics that provide a significantly stronger longitudinal tensile force (recovery) to be used on the elastic panels. , as will be explained.

As can be seen in Figure 3, an elastic strip 21 can be attached under tension to the distal or lower peripheral edge of the skirt 9. As such, when the fitted sheet 1 is installed in the mattress 5, the elastic strip 21 contributes to the traction of the edge portion of the lower peripheral skirt 19 under the mattress, as seen in Figure

3.

Several procedures can be used to construct a mattress cover (sheet, mat, etc.) according to the invention. In order to make a mattress cover as illustrated, a substantially inelastic non-extensible woven material can be cut or otherwise formed into a main piece of material that provides, as illustrated in Figure 4: the top panel 3, sized and configured to superimpose the top side of a mattress; two opposite extension side panels 11, unitary with the upper panel 3 and coextensive with the length of the upper panel 3 to overlap the two opposite sides of the mattress; and two opposite extension end panels 15 with the upper panel 3 and coextensive with the width of the upper panel 3, to partially overlap the two opposite ends of the mattress. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to a unitary piece of main material as described, but rather a main piece of material comprising extension side panels and extension end panels may be formed from respective panels. of material that are formed separately and then joined together to form a composite panel structure to which the elastic end panels can be attached.

Now, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, a process for fixing the elastic end panels 17 to corresponding extension end panels 15 is described. As shown schematically in Figure 4, the elastic end panels 17 are attached to the corresponding extension end panels 15 in a stretched, stretched state. In particular, at least the fixing edge of the elongated panel of elastic material forming the elastic end panels 17 is held under tension or stretching in the longitudinal direction as the edge of the panel is attached to the edge of the panel 15. Significantly, no it is necessary to stretch the entire width of the elastic panel (from top to bottom) during fixing, only the edge portion that will comprise the fixing seam.

Fixing can be done by sewing, and sewing can be done by an operator using a conventional overcast sewing machine. In this case, tensioning and stretching is preferably carried out in an increased manner, along the edge. Since it is only necessary to stretch an edge portion along the fixing seam, it is much easier for an operator to stretch a particular extendable material during the sewing process, compared to the case in which all the seam had to be stretched. elastic panel width.

In this regard, it is important to note that in existing procedures for fixing a strip of elastic material over the entire periphery of a top panel of the mattress cover, to form a longitudinally extensible elastic skirt, such as in the case of mattress covers of patent Be mentioned above, the skirt material is stored in rolls in an elastically stretched condition. The stretched state of the material is maintained (across its width) as it is introduced into the sewing machine, and to the point where it is sewn, after which the release occurs progressively. Under these circumstances, due to the fact that the tension forces generated by the entire width of the skirting material are transmitted to the presser foot and the needle of the sewing machine, significant limits are placed on the elastic materials that could be used and / or the degree of stretching that could be imparted to the material, in order to avoid damage to the equipment. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, this limitation is considerably reduced by stretching the material only along the edge portion that will form the fixing seam.

An example of implementation of this technique is illustrated in Figure 5. In it an elastic end panel 17 has been placed on a corresponding extension end panel 15, and an operator of the sewing machine has initially glued the left end of the edge of the elastic material to the corresponding edge portion of the extension end panel 15. This initial adhesion may comprise a small initial stitched segment of 2.5-5 cm (1 "-2") formed without tensioning the material. In the represented state, the operator is using the left hand to guide the material as it is sewn, and the operator's right hand is pulling towards it a relatively small edge segment (for example, 13 - 38 cm (5 "- 15 ")) of the elastic material, to stretch the edge segment. Preferably, the material edge segment is substantially stretched to the limit of its recoverable elongation. The elastic segment edge segment is maintained in the illustrated condition stretched as the seam is sewn. This process of stretching and sewing focused on the edge is then repeated for an adjacent (next) segment, and subsequent segments, until substantially all of the sewing is completed. In a preferred embodiment, a small final segment (for example, 2.5-5 cm (1 "- 2")) of the seam is sewn without stretching the elastic panel material. It has been found that this facilitates the provision of a cleaner seam at the corners, avoiding the collection or grouping of the extension end panels at their longitudinal ends.

Due to its elongation during the fixing process, the elastic panel, which preferably starts significantly (for example, 10-40%) shorter than the width of the extension end panel 15, becomes at least coextensive with the length of the panel 15. As the elastic material of the elastic end panels 17 is progressively fixed to the peripheral edge of the extension end panel 15, the stress or tension imparted to the fixing edge can be relieved, allowing the elastic material to contract longitudinally Until a relaxed state. If, when the seam reaches the end of the extension end panel, there is some excess length of the rest of the elastic material, this can be cut as the corners are formed (as described below), or later.

Once the elastic panels 17 have joined end extension panels 15 in the superimposed position shown in Figure 5, the panels unfold to form the composite end panels 13, and it is time to close the open corners. In order to do this, the extension side panels 11 can be folded down on an imaginary line at the juncture of the extension side panels 11 and the top panel 3, and the composite end panels 13 can be folded down onto an imaginary line at the juncture of the extension end panels 15 and the top panel 3. As illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the end edges 23 of the extension side panels 11 are then joined to the adjacent end edges 25 of composite end panels 13, such as sewing a seam with a conventional overcast sewing machine. When overcasting the seam, any excess length of the elastic end panel will be trimmed as the seam is sewn. This forms the peripheral dependent skirt 9 with four corners 27, each corner 27 to receive a respective one of the four corners of the mattress 5.

Finally, the elastic strip 21 (see Figure 3) can be fixed to the skirt formed 9 in practically any conventional or otherwise convenient means, in order to complete the fitted sheet 1. For example, the bottom edge of the skirt can be folded on itself, to form a peripherally extending hem, and the elastic strip 21 can be inserted inside the hem and sewn into position. Alternatively, the elastic strip 21 can be fixed with a conventional overcast sewing machine directly to the bottom edge of the skirt, thereby eliminating the need to form a folded hem.

A wide variety of extendable materials can be used to form the elastic end panels 17 of the mattress cover of the invention. This includes, in addition to elastic materials that have about 100% recovery, elastic knitting materials and the like that have a limited but sufficient amount of recovery to impart a longitudinally directed tensile force at the ends of the side panels after stretching to that adjust the mattress cover on a mattress. Such materials can derive their ability to stretch from their integral inclusion of elastic threads, cords or fibers, or from a particular fabric formula employed without components that are, per se, elastic. In addition, the desired stretch capacity can be imparted to a substantially inelastic base fabric, for example, using the techniques for sewing elastic cord lines into a substantially inelastic base fabric disclosed in the Seago patents mentioned above. As another example, the elastic material could be an elastically extensible material of the known type formed as a laminate of nonwoven elastic material sandwiched between a pair of layers

substantially inelastic material, such as those described in the Perfect Fit patent mentioned above.

The main worrying stretch capacity is the stretching ability in the longitudinal direction of the elastic end panel, in order to provide a circumferentially directed traction force (recovery) when installed in a mattress. In one embodiment, the material of the elastic end panels provides a significant stretching capacity only in this direction, being substantially non-extensible in a transverse direction of the elastic end panels. However, two-way stretch / stretch materials, even omni-directionally, could also be used.

In one embodiment, the elastic panels are formed of an elastic woven material that incorporates elastic threads, for example, spandex (such as Lycra), rubber or Dow XLA, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the panels. The elastic threads may comprise an elastic core covered with cotton, polyester or other fibers. A particular mixture comprises 95% by weight of cotton and 5% by weight of spandex. In another embodiment, the fibers are mixed in a proportion of 80% by weight of cotton and 20% by weight of spandex. Several fiber blends can be used with elastic or extensible threads.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the elastic panels may be formed of an elastic knitted fabric or other elastic material that has yet to undergo a finishing process to impart stretch capacity to the fabric. Such a panel could be fixed to the end extension panels in the manner described above, except that the fixation, for example, by sewing, would be without stretching the fixing edge of the material in the process incrementally. In this case, the stretch capacity of the elastic panels will not be imparted until a finishing phase after fixing. Such a phase could, for example, be a washing and drying cycle of a conventional laundry washing machine, or other heat treatment performed by the manufacturer before packaging and sale, or by the consumer after purchase and Before its use. Since most consumers wash new bedding before use in any case, the additional step of washing and drying the fitted sheets to activate the elastic panels should not present a significant inconvenience. Such a finishing phase would serve to contract the elastic material, thereby collecting the material from the end extension panels, in order to provide the extensible material with longitudinal recovery forces capable of providing a tight fit and effectively grasping the mattresses of a range of sizes after installation, as described above. This process for imparting stretch capacity to a skirt portion is not limited to mattress covers with elastic panels provided only at the ends, but could also be applied to impart stretch capacity, longitudinally and / or otherwise, to a larger portion of the skirt or its entirety.

In the embodiments described so far, the elastic end panels, after installation in a mattress, extend completely through the longitudinal dimension of the end walls of the mattress, being fixed directly at their ends to the corresponding end edges of the side panels of extension. This is not necessarily the case. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the elastic end panels may comprise one or more panels that extend less than the entire longitudinal dimension of the end walls of the mattress, the rest being covered by another material, for example, a unitary extension of the walls extension ends, or one or more pieces of material formed and fixed separately (which do not need to be extensible). As an example of the many possibilities in this regard, a pair of approximately 10 "square panels of elastic material could be fixed under tension in the general manner described above, but in order to provide two relatively short elastic end panels at the ends of the formed composite end panel, each adjacent to the corners and having a miter seam, connects the panel to a corresponding end edge of a corresponding side wall extension panel In another embodiment, the elastic panels can be positioned inward from the corners such that its fixing the end edges of the side wall extension panels is indirect, that is, through another material of the composite end panels.

The present invention has been described in terms of the preferred and exemplary embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of this disclosure.

Claims (14)

one.

 A fitted mattress cover (1) comprising: an upper panel (3) of material to be adjusted in relation to overlapping the upper surface of a mattress; and a peripheral skirt (9) that depends on the periphery of the upper panel (3) to adjust in relation to overlapping the sides and ends of the mattress, the peripheral skirt (9) comprising: a pair of side wall extension panels ( 11) fixed to the upper panel (3), said side wall panels (11) being sized and configured to substantially overlap on all sides of the mattress; a pair of end extension panels (15) fixed to the top panel (3), at least one of said end extension panels (15) having a depth that is less than a depth of the side wall panels (11) and dimensioning and being configured to substantially overlap only a partial upper portion of the mattress end walls; and at least one elastic end panel (17) sized and configured to substantially overlap only a partial lower portion of a respective end wall below the partial upper portion, said at least one elastic end panel (17) being formed of an extensible material that it can be stretched at least in a longitudinal direction thereof in order to generate an at least partial recovery force, the elastic end panel (17) being fixed along its upper edge to a corresponding peripheral edge of a corresponding one of the end panels extension (15) and fixing at its ends, either directly or indirectly, to the corresponding extreme edges of the side wall panels (11), so that after the installation of the mattress cover (1), the recovery force at less partial pulls said end edges of the side wall panels (11).

2.

 The mattress cover (1) according to claim 1, wherein said at least one elastic end panel (17) is substantially rectangular in shape, and fixing it to the corresponding end edges of the extension side wall panels comprises a seam that extends orthogonally with respect to the longitudinal directions of the elastic end panel (17) and the extension side wall panels (11).

3.

 The mattress cover (1) of claim 1, wherein said material forming each of the upper panel (3), extension side wall panels (11) and extension end panels (15) is a substantially non-extensible material, substantially inelastic

Four.

 The mattress cover (1) of claim 1, wherein an upper edge portion of the at least one elastic end panel (17) is fixed to the corresponding peripheral edge of the corresponding extension end panel (15) under tension, such that After allowing relaxation, the recovery of the elastic material to its relaxed state attracts the material of the extension end panel inwardly on itself and carries with it the peripheral edge of the extension end panel (15) thus forming gathers on the end panel of extension (15) along the seam that joins the elastic end panel (17) to it, so, when installing the mattress cover

(1) on a mattress, the elastic end panels are allowed to stretch longitudinally, without such stretching being prevented in the upper edge portion of the elastic panel (17) by fixing to the extension end panel (15).

5.

The mattress cover (1) of claim 1, wherein said extensible material comprises elastic elements that impart a longitudinal elastic stretching capacity to the material.

6.

 The mattress cover (1) of claim 5, wherein the extensible material is substantially non-extensible in a transverse direction of said elastic end panels (17).

7.

 The mattress cover (1) of claim 1, wherein said extensible material comprises an elastic knitted material.

8.

 The mattress cover (1) of claim 1, wherein the pair of extension side wall panels (11) are formed as unit extensions of the material that forms the upper panel (3).

9.

 A method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) having an upper panel (3) to adjust in relation to overlapping an upper surface of a mattress and a peripheral skirt (9) for superimposing the sides and ends of the mattress, comprising the Stages of: forming a main piece of fabric that has an upper panel (3) sized and configured to fit in relation to overlapping the upper surface of a mattress, two opposite extension side panels (11) coextensive in length with the upper panel (3) in order to substantially cover all sides of the mattress, and two opposite extension end panels (15) coextensive in length with the width of the top, at least one of said opposite extension end panels (15) having a depth that is less than a depth of the two opposite side panels (11), so as to substantially cover only a partial upper portion of the walls s mattress sides; fixing at least one elastic end panel (17) along a respective longitudinal edge thereof to a corresponding peripheral edge of a corresponding one of the extension end panels (15) to form a composite end panel (13), dimensioning and configuring said at least one elastic end panel (17) for substantially covering only a partial lower portion of the end walls below said partial upper portion, said elastic end panels (17) being formed of an extensible material that can be stretched at least in one direction longitudinal thereof in order to generate an at least partial recovery force when placed in a stretched condition, and fix the adjacent end edges of the composite end panels (13) and panels

lateral (11) to each other to form said peripheral skirt (9).

10.

 A method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) according to claim 9, wherein the upper edge of the at least one elastic end panel (17) is stretched in its longitudinal dimension, as the longitudinal edge of the panel is fixed to the corresponding peripheral edge of the at least one extension end panel (15).

A method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) according to claim 9, wherein the upper edge of the at least one elastic end panel (17) is progressively stretched in its longitudinal dimension in increments as the edge Longitudinal of the elastic end panel (17) is fixed to the corresponding peripheral edge of the at least one extension end panel (15), and then allowed to relax. 12. A method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) according to claim 11, wherein the The longitudinal edge of the elastic end panel (17) is fixed to the corresponding peripheral edge of at least one of the extension end panels (15) by sewing a seam. 13. The mattress cover of claim 1 or the method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) according to claim 9, wherein the pair of extension side wall panels (11) are formed as unit extensions of the material that forms the upper panel (3). 14. The mattress cover of claim 1 or the method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) according to claim 9, wherein the pair of extension end panels (15) are formed as unit extensions of the material that forms the top panel (3). 15. The mattress cover (1) of claim 14, wherein the at least one elastic end panel (17) extends over the entire peripheral edge of the extension end panel (15) to which it is fixed, and each end of the least one panel Elastic end (17) joins directly to a corresponding end edge of a respective extension side wall panel (11). 16. The mattress cover (1) of claim 1 or the method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) according to claim 9, wherein a pair of said elastic end panels (17) are provided, one in each of the opposite ends of the mattress cover and join a corresponding extension end panel (15). 17. The mattress cover (1) of claim 1 or the method for making a fitted mattress cover (1) according to claim 9, wherein the mattress cover (1) is a fitted sheet.